Vaporizer



Dec. 6, 1960 s. A. HENDERSON 2,963,021

VAPORIZER Filed Dec. 26. 1957 INVENTOR.

" wwfaiA MMM I 46 BY Uni ed t s P en 07 VAPORIZER Stanford A. Henderson,Snyder, N.Y., assignor to Gomco Surgical Manufacturing Corp., Butfalo,N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 26, 1957, Ser. No. 705,159-

Claims. (Cl. 128188) This invention relates to Vaporizers and moreparticularly to a vaporizer for an anesthetic, such as ether.

In certain types of ether Vaporizers of the prior art, an arrangementwas used including an enclosed jar, an air inlet tube projectingdownwardly toward the bottom of the jar, and means to conduct compressedair through the tube and to remove the vapor resulting from the airpassing through the ether.

The present invention represents an improvement in such types ofVaporizers and briefly includes provision for admitting the air as closeas possible to the bottom of the container so as to increase the lengthof the path, or upward flow of air bubbles. In addition, means areprovided to increase the number while diminishing the size of the airbubbles to thus obtain greater overall bubble area resulting ,in higherconcentration of ether in the vapor. Another feature included in thevaporizer of the present invention reduces the danger of liquid, orunvaporized ether from passing from the container to thus avoid etherburns to the patient.

The main object of this invention is to provide a vaporizer for ananesthetic, which vaporizer functions to generate a high concentrationof ether in an ether vapor mixture.

A further object is to provide a vaporizer for an anesthetic whichreduces the danger of liquid ether being carried to the patient whichcould result in ether burns thereto.

These and further objects and features of the invention will become moreapparent from the following description and the accompanying drawingwherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an ether vaporizer embodying theprinciples of the invention, and including certain environmentalelements;

Fig. 2 is a section view slightly enlarged, generally as seen alonglines 22 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a section view, further enlarged, of a part of the vaporizerillustrated in Fig. 1.

' Referring now to the drawing, the numeral 6'identifies a vaporizerembodying the principles of the invention, which vaporizer includes acover, or head assembly 7, a telescoping tube assembly 8 which isaffixed to and extends downwardly from the head assembly, and

a cylindrical transparent container, or jar 9 which is open at the upperend for receipt of the head assembly 7. The latter is maintained intight engagement upon the jar by-means-of' a screw 11, having a knob 12at the upper end, saidscrew being threadably mounted in a cross-piece13, which is secured at both ends by a pair of uprights, or poles 14,mounted upon a platform 16, upon which the jar 9 rests. An air inlethose 17 extends between the head assembly 7 and a motor driven aircompressor 18, while a vapor hose 20 extends from the head assembly toan ether mask (not shown) for use on the patient. An air flow controlvalve and gauges, (not shown) may be placed in the circuit of the inlethose 17, for regulation of air flow.

The head assembly 7 includes a generally disc-like 2,963,021 PatentedDec..6, 1960 ice , Projecting upwardly from the center of the coverporin a very fine bubble condition.

tion 19, and formed integral therewith, is a hub 23 having a pair ofoppositely disposed threaded openings 24, each of which connects with apassageway 26 or a passageway 27, both of said passageways extendingdownwardly and opening on the underside of the cover portion 19. The hub23 has a centrally positioned indentation 28 on its upper surface forreceipt of the lower end of the screw 11. A frusto-conical shield 29, issecured by fastening means, such as a screw 30, to the underside of thecover portion 19 within concentric recesses 31, and in overlappingrelation to the ends of the passageways 26 and 27.

The telescoping tube assembly 8, includes a sleeve affixed to the lowerend of the passageway 26, a tube 33 slidably arranged at the upper endin the bushing 32, and an air diffuser head assembly 34 threadablysecured to the lower extremity of the tube 33. The upper end of thelatter is flared outwardly to provide an abutment for engagement withthe end of the bushing 32 to restrict unlimited downward movement of thetube relative to the bushing. A helical spring 36 surrounds the tube 33and is co-mpressively arranged between a pair of cup washers 37, thelower one of which engages a snap ring 38 secured to the tube 33, theupper washer surrounding and bearing against an O-ring 39 which abutsthe lower end of the bushing 32. In such manner, the tube 33 isconstantly urged downwardly so that the diffuser head 34 will bemaintained in the bottom of the jar 9, however, the tube 33 will have alimited amount of upward movement to accommodate slight variations inthe depth of the jars upon which the head assembly 7 may be applied.

The diffuser assembly head 34 includes an end piece 41, threadablyaflixed to the end of the tube. 33, said piece having a circumferentialflange 42 in which are disposed a plurality of passageways 43 whichradiate outwardly from the center of the end piece 41. A bottom disc 44is secured to the end piece 41 and has mounted about its periphery alocking piece 46 which secures the outer edge of a screen 47, the inneredge of which is secured between a ring 48 and one side of the flange42. The screen 47 is very fine (123 mesh), and serves to break up an airstream, flowing down the tube and through the passages 43, into veryfine bubbles.

It will be seen from the foregoing that air flow entering the vaporizervia the hose 17, will pass downwardly through the tube 33, and will beadmitted in the lower end of the jar 9 to pass upwardly through liquidether The upward flow of fine bubbles through the liquid ether resultsin a high ether content vapor above the level of the liquid, which vaporpasses upwardly and exits past the shield 29 and through the passageway27, to the hose 20. The shield serves to prevent unvaporized liquidether flowing into the hose 20, thereby avoiding ether burns to the thehead assembly and extendable into the jar and having a diffuser head atthe lower end thereof submerged in the liquid anesthetic, said tubeassembly being arranged for, limited sliding movement relative to thehead assembly and having means urging said diffuser head downwardly intothe bottom of said jar, said head assembly having means to restrictpassage of unvaporized anesthetic from the jar as a vapor flows from thejar.

2. In a vaporizer for an anesthetic contained as a liquid in an openended jar, a head assembly adapted to cover the jar opening, and a tubeassembly telescopically affixed to the head assembly and extendable intothe jar, said tube assembly having an air diffuser head at the lowerextremity submerged in the liquid anesthetic and resilient meansconstantly urging said diffuser head downwardly to maintain saiddiffuser head in the bottom of said jar, said diffuser head having meansupon its upper surface to act upon an air stream flowing from the tubeassembly to cause it to form fine bubbles for passing through liquidanesthetic in the jar, said head assembly having means to restrictpassage of unvaporized anesthetic from the jar as a vapor flows from thejar.

3. In a vaporizer for an anesthetic contained as a liquid in an openended jar, a head assembly adapted to cover the jar opening, and a tubeassembly telescopically affixed to the head assembly and extendable intothe jar, said tube assembly having an air diffuser head at the lowerextremity submerged in the liquid anesthetic and means urging saiddiffuser head downwardly into the bottom of said jar, said headincluding a fine mesh screen arranged upon its upper surface whereby anair stream flowing from the tube assembly will be formed into finebubbles for passing through liquid anesthetic in the jar, said headassembly having means to restrict passage of unvaporized anesthetic fromthe jar as a vapor flows from the jar.

4. In a vaporizer for an anesthetic contained as a liquid in an openended jar, a head assembly adapted to cover the jar opening, said headassembly being formed to provide an air inlet and a vapor outlet, and atube assembly telescopically affixed to the head assembly and extendableinto the jar, said tube assembly having an air diffuser head at thelower extremity submerged in the liquid anesthetic and resilient meansconstantly urging said diffuser head downwardly to maintain saiddiffuser head in the bottom of said jar, said diffuser head having meansupon its upper surface to act upon an air stream flowing from the tubeassembly to cause it to form fine bubbles for passing through liquidanesthetic in the jar, said head assembly having a shield affixed to thebottom thereof and overlapping the vapor outlet from the jar, whichshield is adapted to restrict passsage of unvaporized anesthetic fromthe jar as a vapor flows from the jar.

5. In a vaporizer for an anesthetic contaned in an open ended jar, ahead assembly adapted to cover the jar opening, said head assembly beingformed to provide an air inlet to the jar and a vapor outlet from thejar, and a tube assembly telescopically affixed to the head assembly inalignment with the air inlet and having a tube extendable into the jar,said tube assembly having an air diffuser head threadably affixed at thelower extremity of the tube, said diffuser head having a fine mesnscreen arranged on its upper surface whereby an air stream flowing fromthe tube assembly will be formed into fine bubbles as it passes throughliquid anesthetic in the jar, said head assembly having a shield affixedto the bottom thereof and overlapping the vapor outlet from the jar,which shield is adapted to restrict passage of unvaporized anestheticfrom the jar as a vapor flows from the jar.

6. In a vaporizer having a tube assembly according to claim 5, whereinresilient means are arranged to constantly urge the tube in a directionaway from the head assembly.

7. A vaporizer for anesthetic comprising an open ended transparentcylindrical container, a head assembly including a disc-like coverportion of slightly greater diameter than the container and a hubprojecting on the top surface of the cover portion, said hub beingarranged to provide an air inlet to the container and a vapor outletfrom the container, and a tube assembly telescopically affixed to thehead assembly and having a tube extendable into the container, said tubeassembly having an air diffuser head threadably affixed at the lowerextremity, said diffuser head having a fine mesh screen arranged on itsupper surface and a plurality of horizontal passageways for conductingan air stream from the tube to the underside of the screen whereby finebubbles are formed for passing upwardly through liquid anesthetic in thecontainer, said head assembly having a frustoconical shield aflixed tothe bottom of the cover portion and overlapping the vapor outlet, whichshield is adapted to restrict passage of unvaporized anesthetic from thecontainer as vapor flows from the container.

8. A vaporizer according to claim 7, wherein the hub is formed toprovide an indentation for receipt of the lower end of a screw adaptedto clamp the cover portion upon the container.

9. A vaporizer for anesthetic comprising an open-ended transparentcylindrical container, a head assembly including a disc-like coverportion of slightly greater diameter than the container, said headassembly being arranged to provide an air inlet to the container and avapor outlet from the container, and a tube assembly telescopicallyaffixed to the head assembly, said tube assembly including a sleevebushing threadably affixed within the air inlet, a tube slidablyarranged in the sleeve bushing and having its upper end enlarged forengagement with the end of the bushing, a helical spring surrounding thetube and compressively arranged between the sleeve bushing an a washermeans affixed to the tube whereby the enlarged end of the tube will beurged in engagement with the sleeve bushing, and a diffuser headthreadably affixed to the lower extremity of the tube, said diffuserhead including a screen arranged in the path of an air stream comingfrom the tube whereby fine bubbles are formed for passing upwardlythrough liquid anesthetic in the container.

10. A vaporizer for anesthetic according to claim 9, wherein afrusto-conical shield is affixed to the underside of the disc-like coverportion, which shield overlaps the vapor outlet to restrict flow ofunvaporized anesthetic as vapor flows from the container.

Gardenier Apr. 17, 1951 Holt Feb. 5, 1952

